The Lengths I'll Go
by almost.writer
Summary: "Don't worry Natsu, I'll find you, and that's a promise!" Lucy mumbled to herself as she glanced back at the guild one more time before stepping on the train. The serenity of the night seemed to mimic the distress her soul was in.
1. Chapter 1

"You outdrank yourself again, Natsu." Lucy laughed. Lucy was walking Natsu home from the guild. The whole guild had participated in another night of celebration, madness, and, of course, drinking. It had been a year since Lisanna's return and Makarov decided to use her anniversary as an excuse to get intoxicated. After only a few hours, the whole guild fell out cold.

"That darn blue cat didn't even have the nerve to take his best friend home." Lucy continued, ranting about the night she had. Natsu stumbled beside Lucy with an arm draped around her for support. He mumbled under his breath statements that couldn't be deciphered by Lucy. Lucy offered to take Natsu home after she had found him running into tables, chairs, and the walls. Natsu hesitated his answer but nodded his head. Now here they were, slowly making their way to Natsu's home. They soon approached the rundown house. Lucy was taken aback.

"This is where you live?" Shock and concern filled her voice. One question raced through her mind: How could someone live in these conditions? Natsu snorted at the question. A smirk playing on his mouth.

"Wait 'til you see the inside." A soft snicker escaped his lips. When Lucy opened the door, she wished she had just taken Natsu to her home. Trash, dirty plates, clothes, dust, and random objects littered every inch of the home. Everything lay in disarray.

"It looks like a hurricane came in here! What in the world!" Lucy exclaimed. "Most of this stuff is useless. Like why are there clothes all over the ground? You always wear the same thing!"

Natsu shrugged, "Doesn't mean I try other things." Lucy led the drunk to the hammock. After setting him down, she found a glass of water for him to drink.

"Here you go, hopefully it'll help you for in the morning." Lucy pitied how bad the boy would feel in the morning. She herself did not drink too much for that matter. Natsu quickly finished the glass and handed it back to Lucy. Their fingers touched while exchanging the cup. Their eyes locked. Natsu gave in and wrapped his arms around the blonde. His head cradling on her shoulder.

"Thank you, Luce." He whispered. Lucy's heart raced as his breath tickled her neck. A few seconds passed, but they felt like years. Silence grew heavy on the two. But three words broke it.

"You smell good."

Lucy rolled her eyes. She cursed herself for thinking he would say something to show some affection he might have, but why would he love her? Natsu dropped from her arms back onto the hammock as his conscious gave out. He was sound asleep with a smile on his face. Lucy blushed at the adorability of his simple smile. Natsu could capture any girl's affection simply by smiling. It was a gift of his.

Carefully, Lucy stroked the salmon strands that pricked up above his forehead, making sure he wouldn't wake. Then the blonde faintly brushed her lips against his forehead. The warmth radiating from him seemed to pass through her body and melt her heart like chocolate. When the Celestial Mage pulled away, she stumbled about trying to find her balance before staggering to the wall next to the door. There hung the painting Natsu begged for them to get. It was soon after their first job and he wanted to have something to commemorate the success. Giving in, Lucy accepted, but she thought he had lost it or thrown it away. But there it hung. Little dust sitting on the relic. Lucy glanced back at the pinkette before slipping out the door in the warm, dark night.

A hooded figure watched the blonde sneak away from the home. A smile grazed their lips at the sight. The figure crept closer and closer to the run down house 'til they reached the door. Natsu still lay sound asleep on the hammock that gently swung back and forth. In stepped the figure, gliding across the floor as if it weren't littered with various things. But the crunch of a candy wrapper echoed across the room. Worry shot across the intruders face. Natsu stirred but did not awaken. The figure continued in relief, making sure they did not pull a similar incident again.

Now near the hammock, the intruder raised a mallet above their head before striking down on the innocent victim. He struck. Quickly, the figure cleaned the head of the mallet and threw the unconscious boy over their shoulder and running off into the night.

 **A/N: Hey it's a new fan fic! Well... this is something I'm trying... I'm kinda liking it so I'm going to attempt to stick with it. I will be slower in updating this fan fic due to another story I've started (** ** _The Truth Behind My Past_** **). You should go check it out. Also, do not be afraid to comment a correction, I'm actually encouraging it. I love it so much when people leave comments on my stories. It always gives me motivation to keep writing the story which is good for you guys and me. Thank you so much!**

 **-Beth** **(◕‿◕✿)**


	2. Chapter 2

The world slowly awakened as the sun peeked out from below the horizon. Birds fluttered about searching for food for their young. Dew drops laced the grass in complexity 'til the weight grew too large for the blades of green. The daily star rose up into the sky and peeked through the windows. Through one window, Lucy opened her eyes to the blinding light, immediately regretting it.

"I don't want to get up!" Lucy argued with herself. She blocked the sight from her eyes before flipping onto her other side away from the light. Lucy lay there debating whether she should get up today. _Maybe today will be the day I don't do anything and I just go back to sleep._ Moments of little movement passed.

"Not today." Lucy groaned, pushing herself up from the bed.

People across Magnolia were now awake with energy. Bakers scurried around their kitchens baking loaves of bread, layered cakes, and other scrumptious tidbits. Each delicacy made carefully by the hands of an artisan. Mothers and fathers awoke their children for school and then quickly head off to work. Librarians, teachers, and even wizards filled the streets, passing each other. All going different directions. Children then roam the streets begging the cooks for a small treat. The cooks gave in to their mischievous ways and nudge various goodies to the children.

Among the hustle and bustle of the morning, Lucy traveled through the crowds of diverse workers. Stand owners offered food, trinkets, and odd items such as a rabbit's foot or a bunny tail. Lucy kindly declined their offers and eventually arrived at the guild hall. As she walked through the guild she realized something was missing, but couldn't figure out what.

"Hi Erza, how are you feeling today?" Lucy asked the redhead. Erza's head lay on the table as she attempted to cover her eyes.

"Oh nothing much. Just regretting all that drinking I did last night. Now I've got a bad headache." Erza replied without glancing at the blonde. Wendy sat down next to Erza.

"You know I can use my magic to help your headache if you want." Wendy insisted to the pained girl.

"No I'm fine, there's probably someone else who needs it more than me." Erza replied sitting up.

"Then make sure to drink plenty of water. It'll make you feel better." Lucy then remembered what happened the previous night. "Do you guys know where Natsu is?"

Wendy and Erza stared at the Celestial Mage with puzzled expressions. Erza smirked, "Why do you want to know, Lucy?" The blonde blushed at the statement. She hadn't told anyone about her feelings for Natsu, but the girls' suspicions were raised long ago.

"What are you talking about? I was just asking where he is!" Lucy shouted. Embarrassment now colored her face an even darker shade of red.

"I think it's amazing that you have feelings for him!" Wendy gushed, going off into her dream world. Lucy's heart began to pick up a quicker beat.

"No! I don't have feelings for him! We're just friends!" Lucy's face now rivaled Erza's hair and she prayed the other girls wouldn't notice, but they took note and did not push the subject any further.

"I haven't seen him since last night." Erza replied. The redhead motioned Mira to come over to the table.

"Yes, Erza?" Mira smiled. Her long white locks falling over her shoulders. Erza ordered a water and Lucy took the chance to ask Mira the same question, but she had the same answer as Erza.

"Don't worry, Lucy. He's probably just sleeping at home." Mira smiled while placing a glass of water in front of Erza. Lucy nodded but felt conflicted. Sure, Natsu seemed to love sleep, but he never made it to the guild late.

"We should go check on him… you know, just incase." Lucy reasoned. Erza stared at the Celestial Mage. A tint of fear filled the blonde's eyes and Erza found that something was wrong.

"Okay, we can drop by if it'll make you feel better." Lucy slightly blushed but agreed with the plan.

"I can't believe those two still haven't cleaned this place." Erza muttered under her breath. It was exactly how Lucy left it last night. Except, somehow the uncleanliness seemed worse.

"Natsu!" Lucy yelled into the dark home. No answer came from the abyss. Lucy glanced to Erza. She held an annoyed look upon her features.

"Natsu! Let's go!" The redhead grunted. Still no answer. Worry began to pour into Lucy's heart. Something was wrong. Erza sighed in anger before stompping into the dark mumbling curses under her breath.

"Wake up, Natsu!" She screamed, opening the window that Lucy was oblivious to before. There in the blinding sunlight lay no one. No one occupied the swinging hammock. The Celestial Mage's heart dropped to the floor.

"Oh God," she began, terror dripping from her words, "he's… gone."  
Splotches of blood began next to the hammock and trailed out the door where they disappered into the woods. Lucy stared at them in shock, fear, and worry. Her knees dropped from below her. Her fingers were numb.

"Lucy! Are you okay? Come on we need to go to the guild! Lucy it's going to be okay!" Erza comforted the nonrespondant blonde. Erza began to think of some way to help the situation. "Got it."

 _Erza: Help! Please! We're at Natsu's home and we need help now! Natsu is missing! Lucy needs help too! Someone just please come help us._

She waited and waited. Hopefully, someone would pick up on the telepathic message. She resent the message through her mind. Yes, it had been a while since they had used it, but it was worth a shot. Finally a voice shot through her mind.

 _Warren: We are on our way. Hold tight._

Erza sighed a breath of relief. She picked up Lucy and carried her outside. She sat her down on the grass and waited. Silent tears began falling down the Celestial Mage's cheeks, but she didn't notice. She couldn't see past the vision of the blood on the floor.

 **A/N: Random chapter that I happened to finish over the three day weekend! From now on, I will hopefully be posting chapters over the weekend. Thank you once again for reading!**

 **-Beth** **(◕‿◕✿)**


	3. Chapter 3

"Lucy? Can you look at me? Lucy?" Levy called to the blonde. Lucy sat staring at the grass. The same memory playing through her unresponding mind. Wendy sat down with a sorrowful look plastering her features. She placed her hand upon the blonde hair and began her healing magic. Slowly, but surely comforting Lucy's distressed state. Erza paced outside the front door to Natsu's home. Ideas of what could've happened racing through her mind. Inside, Makarov, Gray, Gajeel, and Pantherlily searched the crime scene that had unfolded in the missing boy's home. They walked out of the home to find Lucy beginning to move.

"Lucy it's going to be alright." Levy continued. Lucy's welled up with tears. They crept over her eyes before falling silently down her cheeks. Her heart wrenched with agony, knowing her closest friend could be in immense pain or worse. Levy sat by her side wiping the tears as they streaked Lucy's face. Makarov slowly moved towards the broken girl.

"He was laying right there last night. He was sleeping so peacefully," Lucy began. She cried hysterically as tears streamed down her face. "He hasn't ever done anything wrong, so why would someone do this?" Lucy stared at the small man in front of her. Makarov's heart quaked. Even though he was wisest in the guild, he had no answer for the Celestial Mage. The old man dropped his head in disappointment and despair. More tears flowed.

Erza still paced, thinking of a way to fix all of this. She gave up and went inside to investigate again. She searched through the kitchen, over tables, shelves, and anywhere that seemed possible to hold a possible clue.

"How the hell am I supposed to find anything in here when those boys-" Out the corner of Erza's eye something stood out. She snatched the small envelope out of the vase it sat in.

"Those boys wouldn't keep a vase in their house in a million years." Erza mumbled to herself. She slowly flipped the envelope to find it addressed to someone she knew.

"Oh no…" The redhead swiftly bolted out the door and in front of the person it was addressed to. "Here, it's for you, Lucy."

Lucy stared at the envelope. Her eyes were puffed from crying. She took the envelope and began to slowly tear the paper apart. Bread crumbs spilled from the envelope. Lucy peeked inside and there was a note. She pulled it out and opened the folded tab.

Natsu opened his eyes to a darkened room. As he stood, the world began to spin around him. He dropped back to the floor with no success. It felt as if pins and needles were puncturing his head with great force. Natsu reached to the origin of the pain. A wave of pain shot through his brain when he made impact with his fingertips. He brought his fingers down in front of his eyes. A read liquid streaked his skin.

"What the hell happened to me?" Natsu grunted. He began crawling in a random direction, not sure where he was going. The pinkette ran into a glass barrier that seemed to stretch around the whole area. Natsu cursed before collapsing back to the ground.

"Look! It's the mighty dragon slayer! Natsu Dragneel can't seem to stand!" A voice boomed. Anger rose in Natsu's heart.

"Fire dragon roar!" The pinkette chanted, but only a pitiful flicker ignited from the boy's mouth.

"What the…" Natsu began.

"Face it, you're too weak. But anyway, it wouldn't work," a dark figure appeared from the dark in front of the Dragon Slayer. "...this glass is stronger than magic itself, so good luck breaking it."

"Who are you?" Natsu glared at the figure. Hatred filled every inch of his body.

"Me? Who else could I be other than," The figure pulled the hood that he'd been wearing. "...yourself." There stood Natsu. Flesh and blood. They could have been considered twins except for the horns on his head and the tattoos on his face.

"How are you… me? Why would I capture myself? This doesn't make any sense!" The real Natsu yelled. The second Natsu rolled his eyes.

"Wow, you really are dense. I'm the demon E.N.D, I used to be apart of you, but you never released me, so I released myself from your body. I was so sick and tired of watching you go on all those missions and always find a way to defeat the bad guy, without using me. 'Cause once you would've released me, I could destroy everything that you and that filthy guild of yours loved." E.N.D chuckled evilly. "I was so sick and tired of waiting. Oh and that pathetic feeling that washes over every time you see that girl. What's her name?"

"You leave Lucy out of this you horned-freak!" Natsu yelled.

"Oh yes, Lucy. I really thought if someone would have hurt her or maybe possibly _killed_ her, maybe then you would have released me." E.N.D turned away from the glass container holding Natsu. "I guess we'll never know… unless I lure her here and maybe torture her a bit. How about that?"

"If you lay one finger on her, I swear, I will-"

"What? What are you going to do? I'm the most powerful demon in this whole d*mned world. So what? Are you going to punch me? I'm apart of you so whatever you do to me, you're going to feel it." E.N.D snickered. "Well, I'm getting bored talking to you so, cheerio!"

"Wait you get back here! I'm going to punch that smirk right off your face! Get back here!" Natsu screamed. But E.N.D kept walking, not caring at all. Natsu kept yelling, but it was useless. He wasn't coming back and Natsu couldn't do anything about it. He was a disappointment, and he was failing Lucy.


	4. Chapter 4

_Dearest Lucy,_

 _Hello there, this is E.N.D. I am Zeref's most powerful Etherious, or as you humans call it, a demon. I used to be apart of Natsu's essence, but after a long time, I decided I had waited long enough for Natsu to finally release me to pretty much E.N.D the world. Ha get it? I decided it was time for Fairy Tail to have a fairy tale of it's own. Well, while I was in his body, I heard some pretty deep stuff about your two's relationship. But for your sake, I won't mention any of Natsu's annoying thoughts. Just to see if we can have some fun!_

 _If you wish to find your "friend", follow the riddle below closely. You have exactly seven days. If you fail, I find and kill you. If you succeed, well, we'll talk about that when you find us. Natsu's waiting…_

 _Wooden pillars tall,_

 _Down a long hall,_

 _Where someone almost took a fall,_

 _But sadly we see,_

 _It wasn't to be,_

 _When he turned to save she_

Tears streamed down Lucy's face. How was she supposed to find him in seven days? When she looked over the riddle, nothing came to her mind. No ideas came to her mind as she stared at the paper. Anger and frustration built up in her heart.

"I don't know what this means! Who is E.N.D? Did Natsu not know about him? What is going on? Why him? He never did anything wrong!" Lucy cried. Levy brought the broken girl into a embrace, whispering easing words. Erza took the note and read it out loud. Everyone listened intently with fear growing like a virus in their souls. Nothing but Lucy's whimpers could be heard after Erza finished.

Makarov spoke up, "We must begin a quest immediately for his return. Lucy, Erza, Gray, Gajeel, Pantherlily, and Levy, you will all go to find him. I will instruct the guild to keep an eye out for any suspicious behaviors on any jobs they go on. You all must go quickly." Lucy stood, tears still present on her face.

"You're right, we must find him. Sitting here and crying won't help the situation, so please come with me guys." Determination now ran through her veins. All signs of despair was now a memory. Everyone looked around at each other before nodding.

"We're in." Erza declared. They all separated into their different directions. All quickly going home to pack what they would need.

As Lucy ran, her thoughts drifted to Natsu. Her heart wrenched with the knowledge of the danger he was in. _Natsu, you can't leave me… not now… not ever._ Lucy thought. Just as Lucy finished her thought she collided with something, causing her to go down.

"Oh my goodness are you okay?" A queer voice asked. It was familiar. Lucy looked up to find a white haired girl with concerned, blue eyes.

"I'm fine, Lisanna. I wasn't watching where I was going." Lucy replied as Lisanna helped her off the ground.

"Where are you going in such a rush anyway?" Lisanna asked. A broad smile painting her features.

Lucy's smile fell, "Well, I was actually on my way to my home. We have to go on a quest to find Natsu. He was kidnapped and now…" Lucy choked on her words. The same feeling from earlier swarmed her.

"Oh no! Natsu's in trouble? No! I just got back he can't be gone!" Lisanna shouted. Lucy realized her distress and quickly set her own problems aside.

"I-It's okay, Lisanna. We're going to find him." Lucy comforted.

"I should come. I can help out."

"Only Makarov assigned to the quest to a few people."

"B-but I can replace someone. I can help, give me a chance."

"I'm sorry, it's not my decision."

Lisanna slouched down in disappointment, but her disappointment soon gave way to hatred. She thrusted Lucy back.

"This is all your fault! You're always around him and you don't let me talk to him! You two always go on jobs together and always leave me behind! Then, I saw you taking him out of the guild last night, and now he's gone! If anything, you're the one who took him away from me!" With that, Lisanna ran away with tears of fury stinging her eyes. Lucy's heart wavered in fear. Lisanna had never acted in hatred. She was always loving towards everyone. Something seemed suspicious, but her words wounded Lucy. The blonde slowly stood before finishing off her original intent.

The blonde sat at the train station, waiting for her other quest members to arrive. Erza had sent out a telepathic message earlier telling everyone to meet at the train station at eight. It was now fifteen past.

"Where the heck are they? Erza said eight right?" Lucy mumbled to herself while thinking back to the message. Something then caught her eye. An envelope waved in the wind as it stuck to the tracks. The envelope matched the one from Natsu's home. The little sheet of paper seemed to hypnotize the Celestial Mage. She stood from the bench and began to move closer to the tracks. With each step she took, the more the letter flapped around.

The rest of the quest members arrived to find the blonde ready to jump into the ditch where the trains ran.

"Lucy?" Gray called to the girl. The whistle of a train sounded and began to grow louder.

"Lucy!" He screamed sprinting towards her. He clutched her collar and pulled her back just as the train passed nearly hitting Lucy's foot. Lucy watched as the letter disintegrated into a flame and disappeared. She was released from her hypnosis.

"Bunny Girl! What happened?" Gajeel asked helping the two up.

"Oh my god Lucy!" Levy screamed.

Lucy became overwhelmed. "I-I-I just saw one of the l-letters f-from and I was going to g-get it." Tears now fell as she was swarmed with realization of what almost happened. Erza, watching in suspicion, thought of why something like this would happen. The redhead hadn't seen a letter sitting in the tracks.

"Something here isn't right." Erza muttered to the group. They all pondered, but resulted in nothing. They all boarded the train, keeping an eye out on Lucy.

Natsu hunched over his knees and cried. He had watched it all from his prison. E.N.D made sure he had a front seat to Lucy's- almost- death. His shoulders shook as he struggled to catch his breath.

"Man, I thought I had her. That dumb ice machine got in my way." E.N.D whined as he ridded the prison of the fiery orb that showed the scene. Natsu looked to the demon.

"Please," he begged in hoarse tone, "please, leave her alone. I'll do anything." Another wave of tears flowed over him. The demon's face contorted into an offended look.

"I think not. I want to have my fun before I ruin the world." E.N.D laughed once again leaving the boy in the dark.

Nothing but echoing cries could be heard through the area. Natsu's heart burned with sorrow.

"Lucy, please, just leave me. Don't come any closer." He whispered in prayer to her to return home. "Anything is better than seeing you cry."

 **A/N: Hello! Seems like forever since my last update. Sorry for the short chapter. I'm trying to have long chapters and have a lot of chapters, so if there are some short chapters please excuse me. Also, how are you liking the plot? Making the riddle was a lot of fun for me. If anybody knows what it is, comment your guesses! That's all for tonight! Goodnight.**

 **-Beth**


	5. Chapter 5

Lucy stared out the window of the train. Endless fields of green rushed past the train as it moved along the tracks. She used to love watching the trees and brush run past the window while Natsu slept on her lap. But the landscape seemed less appealing and, of course, the pink-haired boy was missing. The train ride now seemed boring. Levy had began investigating the note as soon as we boarded the train. She isolated herself in the seat across from Gajeel and didn't say a word. Erza, Gray, and Gajeel spoke of who this E.N.D character could be. All three of them hadn't heard of him and couldn't recall hearing of E.N.D in any articles or other people. Although Lucy had gathered some confidence, she was still shook from the ordeal and couldn't think straight. "I got it!" Levy burst. Suddenly, all attention was placed on the bluenette.  
"It's quite simple actually. I can't believe I didn't get it earlier!" She continued. All of our faces bent over the letter.

"Well, what is it Shrimp?" Gajeel asked, wonder filling his eyes. She unfolded the table attached to the wall and slammed the paper down on the makeshift desk.

"Do you guys remember when we battled with Grimoire Heart on Tenrou Island?" Levy asked as she began scribbling down things on her paper.

"How can we forget? But that was such a long time ago. What would they have to do with this?" Erza reasoned. It didn't make sense to Lucy either. That was almost two years ago. What could they possibly have to do with Natsu's kidnapping.

"Well, I don't think they are connected to this in any way… hopefully, but it's actually what happened there." Levy replied relieving the stress of having to deal with Grimoire Heart again.

"Wait, so something that happened on Tenrou island is what we are going after?" Lucy asked. What happened on Tenrou Island? They were encased there for about seven years but that's all she could think of.

"Yes! So you and Natsu fought Kain Hikaru, right?" Levy asked. Lucy replied with a yes, but her mind was still blank. "Well, remember when Kain almost took you out, but Natsu used the doll he had to outsmart him?" Once again, Lucy replied yes in a more annoyed tone. She was sore for the next eight years since they were asleep for seven. "That's what the riddle is saying!"

Lucy, confused, pulled the letter towards her. There written off to the sides were the notes Levy made:

 _Wood pillars tall,_ Trees in a forest

 _Down a long hall,_ A path through the forest

 _Where someone almost took a fall_ Someone almost died

 _But as we can see,_

 _It wasn't to be,_ The person was saved

 _When he turned and saved she_ Natsu is he and Lucy is she

"It makes sense now!" Lucy exclaimed. "So that's where they are keeping him?"

Levy dropped her eyes to the desk. "I'm afraid that this search will take longer than just one clue, Lucy. We'll find him, don't worry. It's just going to take longer." Levy gulped. Lucy's cheeks flushed as disappointment filled her heart. She sat back in the train seat and looked out the window.

 _Where could he possibly be?_ She repeated in her head as the train rolled down the tracks.

"Next stop, Tenrou Island." Gray announced as they all pushed back into their seats. _Natsu, you better know she loves you when we find you._ Gray thought as he closed his eyes.

"Oh darn, they figured out my riddle!" E.N.D complained. Natsu smiled. Of course Levy was going to figure it out. She was one of the smartest in the guild. There was hardly anything that could trump her intellect.

"Well, Levy's with them so it's practically impossible to trump them with a simple riddle." Natsu rasped. He hadn't drank anything for a while and the days had begun to slur together. With no natural light, Natsu didn't know the time of day. E.N.D's temper rose out of him and struck Natsu. Blood began running down Natsu's face as the fresh scratches dripped across his features, blinding his eyes with blood.

Natsu sat in a chair with his arms strapped to the arm rests and his feet to the legs of the chair. He began a coughing fit causing every bruised and broken bone in his body to tremble. E.N.D took all of his rage out on the poor pinkette and it was taking it's tole on him. Natsu finally spat out blood and relaxed while panting for air.

"What shall our next clue be?" E.N.D chuckled. The last few days have been nothing but fun for his twisted mind. He's used so many different torture strategies on Natsu and they would only leave a feeling of excitement. Things such as crushing every finger on his hands or dunking him until he passed out. The screams of pain and crushing of the bone just made E.N.D's heart flutter. "Oh I know! We can see how well they are at flying! Like jumping off a cliff and seeing if they could do it!"

"I think t-that'd k-kill them." Natsu trembled.

"Yeah, that's the point." E.N.D replied bluntly. Natsu cried, but no tears came. He had cried to to point there were no tears. It would be impossible for his friends to find him. Heck, Natsu didn't even know where he was. He only longed to see Lucy smile. To hug her and hold her close, but the likelyhood of that happening was slim. The chances of him even seeing her again were inevitable, so why did his heart still burn with desire when he thought of her name.

"I will be back. Don't you move- oh wait, you can't. I'll be on my way to Tenrou." E.N.D announced.

"Don't touch them… you hear me?" Natsu growled, using all of his energy to sound as strong as he could.

"Don't count on it, Pinkie." E.N.D replied before slamming the light source away, leaving Natsu in the dark with nothing but his thoughts and cries of pain.

 **A/N: Oh goodness! I've been busy! I'm so sorry about not updating! I will update my other book as soon as possible. School's almost out so I'm excited and soon to be free. But I'm also moving this summer so I still won't be entirely free, but I will update over the weekends. Thank you guys so much for reading by the way. Feel free to tell me how you guys think the story is going. I'm super excited to see where I take this (lol I'm the writer I can do whatever I want...). Thank you once again for understanding!**


	6. Chapter 6

As the group walked, Gajeel could feel another presence following them. It was smaller almost the size of a cat, but he could sense the hatred and fear in their heart. He could also sense magic running through it's veins. Whatever it was, Gajeel didn't say anything. Telling the group might cause the creature to attack. Instead, he decided to attack it. Slowly, Gajeel slowed his pace and lagged with the group. Just as he hoped, the creature didn't notice and kept it's pace. Once he could feel the creature's heart beating, he turned and slammed the animal into a nearby tree.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Gajeel screamed. The cat-like animal quickly changed into a more familiar form. By now, Gajeel had attracted the attention of the other's.

"What are you doing, Gajeel? Who is that?" Levy yelled in their direction. They all rushed over to the two.

"Lisanna? What are you doing here?" Gray questioned. The white-haired girl was dropped from Gajeel's grasp.

"Geez, Macho! It's just me!" She snarled dusting the dirt off of herself. "I was following you because I didn't trust her," She pointed to Lucy," with Natsu." Everyone turned their heads toward Lucy in confusion. Lucy stared at Lisanna with a mix of confusion, sadness, and guilt. Ever since this whole thing started, Lucy's world has started crashing down.

"Lisanna… I don't understand why you hate me. Did I do something-" Lucy began but Lisanna cut her off.

"I don't want to hear about your problems." Lisanna spoke. Everyone in the group couldn't believe it. Lisanna and Lucy had always gotten along, but suddenly, one hates the other. It didn't make sense, and Erza knew for sure it was suspicious. But she had to ignore it at the moment. They had to reach Tenrou Island before nightfall, and the sun was already beginning to sink below the horizon.

"We have to keep moving ladies. Lisanna, you will join the group. We are on our way to Tenrou Island and I'd like to make it before nightfall." Erza declared, separating the two girls.

They all agreed and began running to the town. They found someone to take them to Tenrou in just a nick of time. They quickly made it to the other side of the large body of water between the mainland and Tenrou just as the stars began blinking into the dark sky. Gray thanked the fisherman that had rowed them there and paid the man. The rest began setting up camp. Gajeel, Levy, and Pantherlily set up the tents while Erza and Lisanna began digging through the groups many bags for food. Lucy sat alone, starting the fire.

" _You're going to want to find as many twigs and sticks as possible. Looks like we've already done that." Natsu smiled, earning a giggle out of Lucy._

Lucy's memory played through her mind as she gathered the sticks.

" _Okay, now you are going to take the twigs and place them in a cone-like structure." Lucy watched as Natsu sat them in a circular shape and began building from there._

Lucy mimicked the picture in her mind from so long ago. Natsu's voice guiding her every move.

" _Now, here's the tricky part." He continued._

" _What is it?" Lucy questioned._

" _Well there are many ways to complete the next step. You have the natural, man-made, or the magical way." Natsu smiled, seeing the wonder fill her chocolate orbs. Lucy nodded her head in response._

" _You can cut a log then twist a twig into the log and wait for it to catch flame, but that would take forever, and I don't feel like taking the time." Natsu groaned. Lucy giggled once again._

" _Then, you can use a lighter, one of the easiest ways."_

 _Lucy nodded._

" _Lastly, you can use flame magic, but I don't think you have that ability." Natsu smiled. Lucy giggled before scooting closer to the boy. "So I'll just do it for you."_

 _Natsu grabbed Lucy's wrist. Heat began rushing through Lucy's body, mostly to her cheeks. She could feel his magic swarming through her fingertips. Then, a flame ignited on her fingertip. Lucy marveled at the sight. Natsu looked at the blonde sitting next to him. His heart began beating at a million miles a minute. As the tiny flame turned into a bonfire on the twigs, Lucy felt sleep becoming heavy on her eyes. Natsu realized the change of spirit and pulled the blonde closer to him. She laid her head down on his lap and felt his fingers play with her hair. The peace of the night settled in and the sweet smell of the flames filled her lungs and she fell into a deep slumber._

The memory ended. Lucy stared into the flames, wishing the fire mage was still by her side. The night no longer seemed peaceful like they used to feel. The smell of the fire seemed to burn her throat and no longer seemed sweet. With no appetite she retired to her tent. Everyone but Lisanna watched with worry.

"I worry about her." Levy admitted. Everyone nodded their head in agreement. Lisanna scoffed and went off to bed.

"She hasn't eaten anything since the day we found out Natsu was gone, and that was nearly three days ago." Erza continued, ignoring Lisanna's drama. Suddenly, everyone stared down at their food in guilt. Gray looked to Lucy's tent.

"I think there's more going on than what Lucy wants to admit." He mumbled.

"What'd you say popsicle?" Gajeel asked. Gray shook his head. The nickname he was given by Flamebrain. Gray put his food back in his bag and retired to his own tent. But as soon as he closed the entrance off, he fell to his knees, allowing the tears to stream down his face.

"Dammit! That dumbass is making me cry!" Gray choked. "But the saddest thing of all… is he doesn't know how much she loves him." He whispered. "Heck, I don't even think she knows…" Gray smudged away his tears with the back of his hands before crashing down on the hard floor.

Outside, everyone has finished what they could of their meals and went to bed. Despair falling heavy on all of their hearts.

The group packed up their bags and headed out. Each attempting to force the emotions from the previous night out of their minds. Lucy kept her eyes fixed on the ground. Her head burned in pain, but she didn't dare say anything. It was the beginning of the side effects of her lack of consumption. But she didn't care. She only wanted Natsu. She only wanted to be able to talk to him again. She only wanted him to sneak in through her window again. She only wanted him, and him alone. Nothing could replace the need for him.

So she continued walking with no complaint. So what she didn't get enough sleep because the nightmares kept her up. She needed Natsu more and a lack of sleep wasn't going to stop her from reaching him, and she was ready to take on anything.

 _Dear Lucy,_

Natsu wrote. E.N.D allowed him to write one letter to include in one of the clues. Although, he was not allowed to tell their location or anything else related to his kidnapping. E.N.D said he would proofread it, and if he found anything he would burn it and punish him. But Natsu still felt gratitude for the chance.

 _I miss you so much. Words can not explain how much I miss you. I'm only allowed one letter on this one sheet of pape…_

The pain in Natsu's hand grew overwhelming. His broken fingers was making it extremely difficult to write.

 _paper, so please, tell everyone that I miss them too. If I could escape, I would, but my captor has weakened me to a great extent and keeps me in a box that pretty much blunts my magic._

Natsu stared at his barely readable handwriting. He didn't want Lucy thinking he was hurt. That could break her even more. He erased that part of the sentence and replaced it with the end.

 _...I would, but my captor keeps me in a box that pretty much blunts my magic. There isn't a second that has gone by that I haven't thought about you though, but I can't watch you suffer anymore. Please, I beg of you… go back to the guild and forget about me. I can't watch you all suffer any longer. Lucy, seeing you cry is the worst pain to watch. I can't do it anymore. Just go tell Gramps you found me dead. Hold a funeral, and just forget. 'Cause I can't do it anymore. Make sure Popsicle takes care of you though. And if he doesn't I will come back from the dead to kill him, but if that doesn't work, send Erza after him. It breaks my heart to tell you to let me go. But promise me you will._

 _Love,_

 _Natsu D._

Natsu ran his fingers through. Tears were beginning to stream down his face. Guilt and despair filled his heart. He knew Lucy wouldn't listen, but Gray or Erza would understand his dying wish. He slid the paper under the glass to E.N.D.

"You know… I almost feel bad for you two." E.N.D began. "Wait, I don't have feelings." Natsu scoffed at the comment. E.N.D laughed all the way out the door. Once it was closed and Natsu was alone, Natsu screamed a blood curdling scream. Anger, stress, guilt, and despair spilling out through his cry.

 **A/N: OMG! IT'S BEEN SO LONG! I'M SO SORRY! To make up for this I tried to make this chapter longer. Hope you enjoy!**


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